Ironing machines



June 28, 1955 Filed Jan. 18, 1951 H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

HERMAN A. SPERLICH ATTORNEYS June 28, 1955 H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sneet 3 Fil6d Jan. 18, 1951 INVENTOR.

HERMAN A. SPERLICH ATTORNEYS June 28, 1955 H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 18; 1951 INVENTOR.

HERMAN A.SPERLIGH ATTORNEYS June 28, 1955 H. A. SPERLICH IRONING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. l8, 1951 FIG.7.

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ATTORNEYS Ii1ite IRONING MACHINES Application January 18, 1951, Serial N0. 206,607

4 Claims. (Cl. 38-59) The present invention relates to ironing machines and more specifically to means for roll actuation and to means for aligning roll and shoe;

Among the objects of the invention is to provide a less expensive combination of elements capable of performing functions heretofore performed by separate elements.

Another object is to simplify the construction of certain of the essential structural elements so as 'to facilitate construction and operation.

Still other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art upon reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view with the gear drive case cover removed.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the machine without the supporting legs.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing in elevation the operating gearing and showing in section the roll lifting means and the roll rotating means.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7-'7 of Fig. 6 also showing in section the ironing shoe, the roll and supporting arm being shown in elevation.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8A is a detail of the key actuating spring.

Fig. 9 is an enlargement of a portion of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the machine Parts.

Fig. 11 is a perspeetive view of one of the sliding keys.

As indicated in the drawings, the ironing machine cousists of a rectangular table top member A ofsheet metal supported upon inverted U-shaped leg members B of metal, the cross portion of the U being flattened and extended -to provide for stability and mobility.

Mounted upon the table A at the mid portion of the lang sides thereof are the shoe support C and the roll support D, these being bolted to the table and to a heavy reinforcing plate E, extending across and underneath the -table top. LAt each end of the top A are hinged extensions F which, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, may be moved to an upright position when the machine is not in use. Since the operator sits next to the shoe and its support, this side of the machine will be hereinafter referred to as the front.

The support column C carries at its top a substantially horizontal feed table or plate 20 and mounted 011 an arm somewhat below the top of the column is the ironing shoe 20A heated by means of electric coils 20B embedded in its rear face and controlled by a control element 20C having a suitable handle and dial 20D in the front face of the column. A suitable heat insulating cover 20E prevents too great loss of heat by radiation from the shoe 20A while a spaced enclosure member 20F open at the edges of the shoe allows circulations of air to provide rares Pateht() for the greater comfort of the operator. As will be noted clearly in Fig. 7, the shoe A is tilted rearwardly and curved to coact properly with the ironing roll 21, shown in its two operating positions in this figure.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 3, the roll 21 is carried in the two arms 21A and 21B of a yoke, the connecting member of which 21C is a tube extending through the upper part of the column or support D. These arms 21A and 21B are hollow members and in the arm 21B is a suitable bearing 21D for one end of the roll 21, the arm 21B being fixed to the end of the tube 21C. The arm 21A consists of a cover 22 fixed over a plate 22A which is fixed to the other end of tube 21C. This plate is provided With a bearing, coaxial with tube 21C, for the roll drive shaft 23, upon the end of which is a small gear 23A. From the latter a train of gears 22B (see also Fig. 2) extends from gear 23A to a large gear 22C fixed to a short shaft 22D in turn fixed to the roll 21. The plate 22A is provided With suitable studs and bearings for the train and of course a bearing for shaft 22D.

Mounted upon a side wall of eolumn D is an electric motor 24 With its shaft extending into column D and carrying a small drive gear 24 A meshing with the larger member cf a compound gear 24B, -the smaller member of which meshes with the larger member of a second compound gear 24C. The smaller member of the latter meshes with a large gear 24D freely rotatable upon a shaft 24E fixed in the side walls of the colurnn. Upon one face of gear 24D adjacent its hub is formed teeth constituting one member cf a dog clutch, the other member of which is carried by a clutch 25 splined upon the hub 25A of a gear 25B, which also carries a fixed member 25C serrated as clearly shown in Fig. 9.

T he gear 25B through a train Z5D or' iciler gears drives a small gear 23B located within tube 21C and fixed to the end of the roll driving shaft 23. Upon the other face of gear 24D is a hub extension provided with slots for the reception of sliding keys 30A of which there are two located apart in slots in a sleeve 303 freely rotatable upon shaft 24E. Upon the end of sleeve 303 away from gear 24D is keyed an eccentric 31 on which rolls a smaller roller 31A, contact between the two being maintained by means of a strap 31B passing around both the roller and the eccentric. In Figure 9 it may be seen that this roller 31A is rotatably mounted on a depending clevis member fixedly attached to the end of leaf spring lever arm 32, the other end of which is fixed in a casting 32A located Within the yoke member 21C. This casting 32A is movable rotatively within the tube, the tube being slotted as at 32B for this purpose. In ordinary Operation, however, the casting 32A -is fixed againstsuch relative rotation by the means shown in Fig. 7. Upon the tube 21C is fixed a hollow boss or casing 33 in which is pivoted a lever 33A, the outer end of which projects upwardly a convenient distance and is provided with a handle 33B. At its lower end, it is provided With anose 33C adapted to coact With a spring pressed plunger 33D, the lower end of which terminates in a plate 33E passing through a slot in the tube 21C and into a corre* sponding slot in the casting 32A.

In its normal position, i. e. during the usual ironing and pressing operations, the plate 33E holds the 'ca"st ing and tube against relative movement. But, if it becomes desirable to separate the roll and shoe quickly and to a greater distance than normal, the lever 33A is .moved backward to withdraw the plate 33E and furt her movement will elevate the roller. Y In Fig. 7 the full line showing of the roll 21 sh 0v vs it is elevated in ordinary ironing operations. its position against the ironing shoe is indicated at 121 and its exrxergency elevation at 221.

As indicated above, rotation of roll 21 is accomplished fron1 gear 24-D through a dog clulch sleeve 25 and the raising and lowering of the roll through eccentric 31 and arm 32. I-Iowever, these operations are controlled so that the roll rotates only when lowered against the shoe and then only when desired. In other words the operator may use the same controls for ironing or for pressing The control of clutch 25 is accomplished by means of a lever 35 pivoted at 35A and provided with a nose 35B adaptecl to enter a groove 35C in the clutch 25 (see Fig. 9). One side of the groove 35C is smooth, while the other side is serrated as shown at 35D. When the other end of the lever is swung upward, the nose 353 pushes the sleeve into engagement with gear 24D. When it is moved in the reverse direction, the nose engagcs the curved serrations 35D and the rotating sleeve aids in the clutch disengagement.

Lever 35 is operated by a second lever (see Fig. 8), a portion of which, 40A, is embraced by the for-ked end 35E of lever 35, this lever 40 being fixed to a shaft 41 oscillatable by an arm 41A connected through link 418 of a bellcrank 41C locatecl under the table top and itself connected to the control pad actuable by the operator as will be described later. Lever 35 assumes one of the three positions M, N and O as inclicated in Fig. 9. The D position is the clutch engaged" position, in which the roll 21 is rotated. The E position is assumed when pressing without roll rotation. In the F position the clutch sleeve 25 is disengaged and the roll is not rotated, hat in lhis position the end of arm 40B clears the key 30A and allows the roll to be moved from one to the other of the two positions 21 or 121 (Fig. 7).

The lever 40, shown in elevation in Fig. 8 swings withshaft 41, and is provided with two arms as shown, the arm 40A being the one coacting with lever 35. The other arm 4GB, when idle, prevents the sliding into engaging position of the sliding keys 30A (See Fig. 6), the other key 30A being helcl out of engagement by the ring 42. This ring 42 as shown in Fig. 10 is a sheet metal band of two widths, the narrower one of which 42A extends for half the circumference and leads into inclined carn edges 423 and to the wider portion which is somewhat less than one half the circumference.

The slicling keys, one of which is shown in Fig. ll arc providecl with a lug 130A which coacts with the ring 42, the Wide portion of the latter maintaining the key in withdrawn 01 disengaged position.

The keys 30A arc biased toward engaging position by a spring 43 having a forked end, as shown in Fig. 8A, the arms being of such length as to be in position to act on both keys when the latter are idle. Only one of said keys, however, can be held out of engagement by the ring 42 since the wide part of the ring is less than 180". The other key is held out of engagement by the arm 4013 of lever 40 (see Fig. 6). Therefore, when the lever 40 is moved downwardly to the position of Fig. 8, this latter key 30A is allowed to be pushed into engagement by spring 43 and will thereby produce rotation of sleeve 30B for one half revolution until the carn 4213 pulls it out of engagement. In rotating the half revolution, the eccentric 31 will of course be also rotated one half revolution and thereby move the roller 31A up or down and with it the spring arm 32 fixed to roll 21.

The lever 40, as stated aboVe, is actuated by the link 41B and bellcrank 41C. The latter is pivoted at 41D and is itself actuated through link 45 by another bell crank 46 pivoted upon a plate 46A fixed to the plate E. Also pivoted on plate 46A is an arm 47 which together with another pivoted arm 47A .of equal length and spaced some distance, carries a bar 47B upon which is fixed a depending pad 48 adapted to be moved by the knee of the operator.

The hell crank 46 and arm 47 a.re each provided with short flange portions 49 adapted to contact each other to provide for movement of the crank by the arm. These flange portions are of substantial length and, since the pivot of the crank is not aligned With the pivots of the arms 47 and 47A but is behind this line, the flange portions will not merely slide on each other but will rock relatively and thereby change the leverage relation, the greater leverage existing at the beginning of the movement.

As indicated in Fig. 6, the pad 48 may be adjusted in position along bar 47B so as to fit the Operator.

In assembling the machine, the shoe assembly is mounted upon the column C by means of the two bar elements 50 and 51, the element 50 being a bent in arc and fixed so the shoe assembly. The element 51 is also arc shaped and both 50 and 51 are provided with slots for the reception of suitable bolts 52 so that a limited change of position of the assembly will provide for accurate alignment with the roll 21 before the final tightening of the bolts.

I claim:

1. In an ironing machine having an ironing shoe and an ironing roll oscillatable toward and from said shoe, a base, yoke supporting means on said base, a yoke mounted on said yoke supporting means and supporting said roll, a lever arm fixed to said yoke whereby to oscillate the latter and thereby said roll, said lever arm consisting of a leaf spring, an eccentric carried by said yoke supporting means and rotatable to move said lever arm and means loosely connecting said arm and said eccentric.

2. In an ironing machine having a base an ironing shoe fixedly mounted on said base and an oscillatable ironing roll adaptecl to coact therewith, means for mounting said shoe in a position of aligument with said roll, said mounting means consisting of a supporting pillar, an arcuate member fixed to the latter, a second arcuate member fixed to said shoe, said arcuate members being of substantially the same radius of curvature and extending longitudinal!y of the shoe, openmgs m sa1a memners, tne openings in one of said members being of such size as 'to allow a substantial latitude of relative movement prior to fixing the members together, and means positioned in said openings rigidly fixing said arcuate members together.

3. In an ironing machine having an ironing shoe and an ironing roll oscillatable toward and from said shoe, a base, yoke supporting means on said base, a yoke mounted on said yoke snpporting means and supporting said roll, a lever arm fixed to said yoke, said lever arm consisting of a leaf spring, and a rotatable eccentric carried by said yoke supporting means and arranged to actuate said lever arm downwardly to move said roll away from the shoe and upwardly to move said roll toward said shoe, said upward actuation being sufiicient to flex said lever arm after the roll conta cts the shoe.

4. In an ironing machine having an ironing shoe and an ironing roll oscillatable toward and from said shoe, a base, yoke supporting means on said base, a yoke mounted on said yoke supporting means and supporting said roll, a lever arm fixed to said yoke, means mounted on said yoke supporting means and attached to the and of said lever arm remote from said yoke for actuating said arm to thereby efiect an oscillation of said roll toward and from said shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1.848,499 Sperlich et al. Mar. 8, 1932 2349014 Sperlich May 16, 1944 2516519 Iohnston July 25, 1950 2548152 Getgey Apr. 10, 1951 

